CSU Extension

Library databases are NOT free resources. Libraries typically pay for subscriptions, and the information in the databases is well-organized, carefully selected, and in many cases, peer-reviewed. Library databases give you more control over your searching, allowing you to broaden or focus your search as necessary. Google instead searches the surface of the open web, making it difficult to find quality information. 

Google Scholar promotes itself as a resource that provides one-stop shopping for scholarly literature. It searches across many disciplines and covers a wide variety of resources, including journal articles, theses, books, abstracts, and more. Although Google Scholar is aimed at the academic community, it uses a very broad definition of "scholarly literature." Remember that the content isn't free or necessarily available in full-text. If you find an article you like, you may have to pay for it. You can customize Google Scholar to display the  button so you can access some articles for free.

One of the drawbacks of using Google Scholar is the lack of control you have over your search. GS uses an algorithm similar to Google where popularity, not necessary reliability, plays a large role.

You don't have many ways to limit your search, and you don't have the "concept boxes" that many databases have which allow you to easily break up, and control, your search.

You CAN still take some control and use the AND, OR, and quotation techniques you use in library databases. To use the AND's and OR's you need to use parenthesis.

Put each concept into parenthesis where you combine all of your OR's, then combine these parenthesis groups with AND's. For example:

(concept1a OR concept1b OR concept1c) AND (concept2a) AND (concept3a OR concept3b)

("emerald ash borer" OR eab) AND (city OR urban)

Configuring Google Scholar to Display the FindIt@CSU Link

Google Scholar can be configured to work with the CSU Libraries' FindIt@CSU linking service that will connect you with the full text of articles subscribed to by the CSU Libraries, as well as Interlibrary Loan Services.The FindIt link will automatically display for users accessing Google Scholar from on campus, but off-campus users will have to configure Google Scholar to display the link.

1. Go to Google Scholar -http://scholar.google.com

2. Click on the triple bar iconthat is located on the top right hand side of the screen.

3. Click on gear in the upper right hand corner of the menu.

4.  A settings menu will appear either across the top of your screen or on the left hand side of the screen, depending on your screen size. Click on "Library Links" and search  for "Colorado State." Select "Colorado State University Fort Collins FindIt@CSU-FindIt@CSU)" and select "Save.".

5. Now the FindIt@CSU link should appear in Google Scholar each time you run a search.

Limit your results to a specific site, or type of site by using site:

• The search agriculture site:.gov will find results ending in .gov, which are government websites.    
• The search agriculture site:colostate.edu will find results that are within the CSU websites.

Use quotation marks " " around phrases or titles.

• "soil conservation" will find results talking about soil conservation, not about conservation that just mentions soil.

Mark important words with a +

• If you want to make sure a word or phrase shows up in your results, but a + in front: +"soil conservation"

Eliminate resutls with a -

• A minus sign (-) works the same as NOT: soil -conservation (Be careful when using!)

Limit your results by file type by using filetype:

• filetype:pdf finds PDFs, while filetype:.ppt will find PowerPoints.

Broaden your search

• Use OR the same way you would in a library database to get more results (soil OR dirt).
• Using a tilde (~) before a word will find synonyms.

See the GoogleGuide for more tips.